Association executives expect to see more delegates attend their meetings next year, according to Meetpie.

A recent survey of association executives also found that a third will be running more meetings next year. Conducted by the International Congress & Convention Association (ICCA), the survey found that just 8% plan to hold fewer meetings next year and only 6% expect delegate numbers to drop.

“These results provide further powerful evidence that the international association meetings sector is holding firm through these economically rocky times,” said Martin Sirck, CEO of ICCA.

To further underline the optimism surrounding the world of conference centres, event venues and business meetings, over a third of association executives said actual or planned attendance for events in 2011 had grown. Only 14% of people said there had been a slight reduction in the number of delegates; the rest said there had been no change. One in five association executives said income from sponsors and exhibitions had grown, and 40% said their income hadn’t reduced from these measures.

Those questioned also had big plans: three quarters were organising, or about to hold, meetings for more than 500 delegates in 2010, with 15% organising events for over 5,000 delegates.